Promoting education for all
Children from Ecuador’s minority ethnic groups only attend school for an average of four years, compared to the national average of more than seven. Although a multi-ethnic country, Ecuador’s national curriculum was previously in Spanish. CARE has helped to develop a bilingual curriculum in Spanish and Quechua, the most widely spoken language among indigenous people. This has made education accessible to a large number of children who were previously excluded from learning in schools.
Supporting rural livelihoods
We work with farmers to help them earn a decent living and grow enough food to feed their families year-round. In the Amazon basin, our work with local communities has allowed them to market local fruit under the Fairtrade label, ensuring they get a fairer price. High in the Andes, we are working with women farmers to help them adapt to the changing climate. We teach them innovative technologies and introduce crop varieties that are more likely to thrive in high winds, frost and poor soil. With low-cost greenhouses, organic fertilisers and ingenious systems to capture water from mountain mist, communities are finding it much easier to grow enough food. This in turn is helping reverse migration to urban areas, where people often end up begging to survive.
You can directly support poor entrepreneurs in Ecuador
Our Lendwithcare programme works with local microfinance institution partners to offer loans to people in poor communities who are starting or building up a small business. Find out more about Lendwithcare and how you can make a small loan directly to an entrepreneur in Ecuador.
